The present invention relates to subsea well apparatus and electrical circuit means for controlling or monitoring electrical apparatus located adjacent or in the subsea well at a location remote from an overhead floating vessel from which operations on the well are being conducted. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrical connector means for providing an automatic connect-disconnect electrical circuit completion concurrent with connection of the vessel hung apparatus with the well head apparatus.
It is common in subsea well operations to suspend long lengths of tubing for drilling or production operations from a floating vessel to a subsea well head with means for automatically disconnecting the vessel from the well head in the event of rough sea conditions as well as to simplify normal hookup or disconnect operations between the vessel and well. In the prior U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 37,841 filed May 10, 1979 entitled "IMPROVED ANNULUS VALVE" a tubing hanger and annulus valve apparatus is disclosed which provides for an automatic connect-disconnect of the vessel with well head apparatus with provision for making up a hydraulic connection on landing of an associated mandrel member in the tubing hanger and annulus valve apparatus. However, it is also desirable to operate electrical apparatus down hole to monitor well conditions such as fluid temperatures. It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide an electrical circuit between the vessel and down hole well apparatus which could be completed or interrupted by the connection, or disconnection, respectively, of the vessel associated apparatus relative to the well head associated apparatus. Such a connection will have to be operable in the environment of the subsea where water presence and pressure will tend to cause an electrical connection to fail and should be easily and repeatably completed or interrupted concurrently with normal completion or disassembly of the subsea well apparatus run between the floating vessel and the subsea well.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a subsea well apparatus electrical connector means for automatically providing a completed electrical circuit between down hole electrical and overhead remote floating vessel concurrent with the makeup of the riser or tubing string apparatus between the vessel and well. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to disclose and provide a concentric electrical connector means suitable for use in association with the completion of a subsea well connection between a mandrel run from the floating vessel and a tubing or casing hanger apparatus in which the mandrel is landed in order to effect completion of the electrical circuit between the vessel and associated down hole electrical apparatus concurrent with the makeup of the mandrel-tubing or casing hanger apparatus in the subsea environment.